In order for teachers to increase their effectiveness, it's helpful to explore how making connections relates to developing a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. Our own experience of learning mathematics may have been to learn one topic at a time, with little or no connection made to other mathematical topics or to the real world. As students, we may have had little understanding of how number concepts lead to understanding of algebraic thinking, or how patterns are related to geometric principles. By developing relationships among mathematical ideas, we give our students and ourselves many opportunities to revisit and clarify our thinking about the structure of mathematics.

In this section, we will take a look at your own, rather than your students', approach to expanding your knowledge through connections. As you complete each activity, think about the connections you can make to your previous mathematics experience, to other mathematics content, and to applications in the world outside the classroom. The more experience you have with discovering and applying these connections, the more adept you will become at planning lessons around connected topics and helping students become aware of the interconnectedness of mathematics and its importance in other areas of study and application.

  Try an Interactive Activity